


Untitled

by RockNoir



Category: Cars (Pixar Movies)
Genre: Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2019-11-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:47:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21584803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RockNoir/pseuds/RockNoir
Summary: [ A snippet from an AU of an AU for NurfHurdur.]Even when Jesse’s parents argued, they did it gently.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	Untitled

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NurfHurdur](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NurfHurdur/gifts).



> Instead of Doc/Jesse’s parents dying when he was younger, they live long enough to see him race.
> 
> This is just a small scene.

This is the norm for Jesse now, he guesses, sitting on the front porch of the homestead. He can hear the sound of Ruth’s harsh coughing through her open window, Smokey’s out back doing god knows what with Dad’s old truck, no matter how many times everyone has tried to convince him that he can’t fix the old thing and it’s beaten down beyond repair, and mother and father arguing in the kitchen—

Well, that’s not normal.

He can most definitely hear them, but their arguing isn’t loud or aggressive. It’s oddly gently, and doesn’t sound like an argument at all. But it’s about him, and he can’t not listen. He can hear them through the screen door.

“Of course I’m proud of him, Henry, but those things are big metal death traps and every time I see whim get behind the wheel, it worries me.” His mother’s voice is soft. “Especially with the stunts he likes to pull.”

“He’s fine,” he hears his father reassure. “He’s a man now, he can handle himself. He can handle a few bruises.”

“I know, but—“

“And he’s not out there alone. He’s got Junior with him. They make a great team, dear, and they’re doing just fine out there.”

“I know...but that’s still our baby out there. And I’d hate to see something happen to him.”

He chooses now to step in to the house, sheepishly holding his helmet in his hands, and immediately they both turn to look at him.

“Talk to him,” mother says, nudging his father with her arm.

“Right, Uh—“ his father stands up straight, looking down at Jesse. “Son.”

“Yes?” Jesse says, definitely not moving to stand behind his mother.

“You’re doing good out there, keep it up—“

“No.” His mother shoots the softest glare at his father before turning around to face him. “What your father means to say is that you need to be careful out there.”

Smokey chooses that moment to come inside as well, smirking at his baby brother while his mother continues on.

“You’re a wonderful driver, but sometimes you can get a bit reckless out there. And we’re just worried about you. We want you to be safe.” She finishes the lecture by standing on her toes to give him a kiss on the forehead. “I’m going to check on your sister.”

She gives Smokey’s cheek a soft pat as she passes him by on her way toward the stairs.

“I always wear my helmet...” Jesse mutters.

Father clears his throat, and both boys look up at him. For a second, he’s almost taken aback. Junior—Smokey, as everyone’s grown to call him—is an almost spitting image of his younger self. With all the brawn, too. And Jesse’s got the brains, and the eyes of his mother. And they’re still looking at him, expectantly.

“Boys. Your mother just wants you to be safe. I know you can handle whatever that track throws at you, but we can’t always see things the way you do. Sometimes things look a lot more scary from the stands than they might to you when you’re in the middle of it all.” He looks at Jesse when he says, “We don’t want you getting hurt.”

It’s silent between the three men for a moment, but it’s quickly interrupted but Ruth’s rather loud coughing fit, echoing from upstairs.

“We might not be able to make your next race. Ruth’s having a bad flare up, and your mother won’t admit it, but she isn’t feeling too hot, either. But that doesn’t mean we won’t still be proud of you both.”

He and Smokey give a manly nod of solidarity to one another, then father runs a hand through Jesse’s hair in a tame show of affection, jokingly suggesting that he get a trim, before also making his way to the stairwell, to make sure his wife and daughter were fairing well, leaving both sons alone.

“Hah. You got scolded by ma about your bad driving habits.” Smokey teases, breaking the silence.

“I did not!”

“Did too.”

“Smokey!”

“Jesse.”

“I’m a good driver!”

“But not a careful driver. Mom said so.”

“I don’t supposed you could do better. Not with that big nose of your blocking your vision.”

Smokey tosses his arm around Jesse’s neck, putting his much smaller brother in a headlock, and they immediately begin to wrestling, throwing harmless, teasing insults at each other. As siblings do. 

Until dad shouts from upstairs, “Boys! Take it outside!”

**Author's Note:**

> None of the Hudson siblings had to grow up fast. At least not by force.


End file.
